Container for phonograph needles and the like



March 16, 1943. c. PFANSTIEHL CONTAINER FOR PHONOGRAPH NEEDLES AND THELIKE Filed May 1, 1941 Z%y.1 J3 2.

arZ f/azz 5519/42.

split to provide a Patented Mar. 16, 1943 CONTAINER FOR PHONOGRAPHNEEDLES AND THE LIKE Carl Pfanstiehl, Highland Park. IlL, assignortoPi'anstiehl Chemical Company, a corporation 01-.

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Application May 1, 1941, Serial No. 391,395

6 Claims. (01.- 2'oe-4s) This invention relates to a container forphonograph needles or similar small objects.

It has heretofore been the practice to package phonograph needles eitherin paper envelopes or in large cardboard backs. Packages of this type donot pack well and the needles are likely to be torn loose. Furthermorethe packages are not attractive.

The present package affords a clear view from all sides of the needle,has no projecting portions, may readily be packed for shipment or mailedin an ordinary envelope, and provides an attractive display. At thesametime the needle is sealed against dirt and moisture andcannot bedislodged, lost or stolen without removing the entire package.Furthermore the package provides for the use of a gasket which may beused for ornamentation or advertising purposes.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a planview of the container with a needle within it; Fig; 2 is a sideelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3 in Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. l of the lower half of, thecontainer; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gasket; and Fig. 6 isa view ofthe underside of the. top half of the container.

As shown in theldrawing, the container III is ttom portion II and acover portion I2, each of which is made from a transparent,thermoplastic, non-frangible material. It is preferred to use a resinousmaterial such as the methyl methacrylate resins, or a styrenecomposition. The bottom portion ll, while molded integrally, may beconsidered as comprising a bottom plate l3 provided with an upstandingperipheral flange I4 which provides an abutment l5 at its upper edge,which supports a paper gasket I6. correspondingly, the cover portion I2may be considered as formed from a cover plate I! provided with adown-turned peripheral flange is, likewise provided with an abutment H3at its lower edge.

Interlock means are provided on top and bottom. It is preferred to haveat least two sets of interlocks. In the form here shown, the bot-' tomportion of the container is provided with a pair of pins and the coverportion with a pair of complementary cavities 2|. The pins are placedupon the studs 22 and the cavities are formed in studs or ears 23.Obviously other forms of interlock means-may be employed and therelative positioning of the male and female members may be reversed orthe cover may be provided with one male and one female element and thebottom with complementary interlock portions.

confining means are provided within the container for holding the needleor other elongated small object. In its preferred form this confin ingdevice consists of an casket 25. In its simplest form the casket isformed in two equal sections, the lower half 25a being integrally formedwith the bottom portion of the container, and the upper half 25b beingformed integrally withlthe cover of the container. The interior tirecontainer including casket is integrally formed from atransparent.thermoplastic, nonfrangible material. The gasketlli ispreferably a fibrous sheet provided with a central opening 21 slightlysmaller than the casket, and side slots 28 of a size suflicient to admitthe pins 20. The gasket may readily be provided with ornamentation oradvertising to accentuate the needle or other material within thecasket, and the top or bottom portion thereof may readily be providedwith printed matter, giving directions for opening of. the containerandinstallation and use of the needle.

' The bottom and cover portions of the container may be secured togetherbythe use of a small amount of solvent in the cavities 2| or upon thepins 20, but it is much more satisfactory to fuse a small portion of thepin afterassembly of the container. This may be accomplished by theinsertion of a hot needle through the wall of the container into thepin. This leaves a very small punctured area where the needle has beenwithdrawn and produces a small area of cloudiness around it which doesnot detract from the attractiveness of the container.

This method has the further advantage that a package so prepared ispractically non-refillable. Once it has been opened the package cannotbe again sealed without there being obvious and clear evidence of thetampering. Also, the cover and bottom portions are thin enough so thatthe act of prying them apart, once sealed, slightly warps them, and thepackage'cannot even be closed tightly thereafter.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no'unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom.

What I claim as new, Letters Patent, is:

1. A package for elongated small objects com prising a relatively largethin transparent nonand desire to secure by integral upstanding split:

26 of therasket is, only slightly a larger than the needle it isto'contain. The enfrangible bottom portion, a relatively small centralcavity therein of substantially the size of the elongated object to becontained therein, a transparent thin non-frangible thermoplastic cover,a central cavity in the cover corresponding to'the central cavity in thebottom portion, and means for positioning cover and bottom portions tobring the corresponding cavities into alignment. v

2. A package as set forth in claim 1, in which an ornamented gasketsubstantially divides the cover and bottom portions except for thecentral cavity.

3. A container comprising-a thin flat base vprovided with an integra1upstanding periphera1 flange, a thin flat cover having a downwardlydirected peripheral flange adapted to abut on the upstanding flange oithe base, and an elongated centrally located integral split caskethaving complementary portions integrally formed from the base and cover,the cover and base portions being of transparent non-frangiblethermoplastic mat'erial.

4. A container as set forth in claim 3, in which the base and coverportions ar provided with integral interlock means.

5. A transparent thermoplastic container comprising top and bottomportions, the top and bottom being provided with at least two sets ofintegral complementary int rlock means, each set of interlock meansincludi g a male and female member, and the male member of eachinterlock means being partially fused to the corresponding ijemalemember of the interlock means, and there being a small punctured areaassociated with each set of interlocking means extending to theperiphery of the container.

6. A container comprising a thin flat disk base portion provided with anintegral upstanding circumferential flange, at least two studs adjacentthe flange, a thin flat disk cover poption having a downwardly directedcircumferential flange adapted to abut on the upstanding flange of thebase and provided with studs complementary to and adapted to abut uponthe studs of the base portion, the studs being provided withcomplementary male and female interlock members, the base'and coverbeingcomposed substantially entirely of transparent thermoplasticnon-frangible material, and an elongated centrally'located integralsplit casket having complementary portions integrally formed from thebase and cover.

CARL PFANSTIEHL.

